Joint Support Ship Project
Encyclopedia
The Joint Support Ship Project (abbreviated as JSS Project) is a project undertaken by the Canadian Forces
to provide Canada
with three multirole naval vessels
. The Joint Support Ship will enable a Naval Task Group to remain at sea for up to six times longer than is currently possible. The Joint Support ships will provide the Royal Canadian Navy
with a greater flexibility to conduct a wide range of operations both domestically and internationally. The project has suffered from considerable delays. Originally announced in 2004, a contract for the construction of these ships was to have been signed in 2009. They were to have been available for operational service in 2012. A contract for construction has not yet been signed and proposed entry into service has been set back by five years to 2017.
capability of the Protecteur class auxiliary vessel
, as well as provide basic sealift
for the Canadian Army, support to forces ashore, and command
facilities for a Joint Force or naval task group. The project should not be confused with a proposed Amphibious Assault Ship
also under consideration by the Royal Canadian Navy
; planning for this latter vessel is in a much earlier stage.
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
to provide Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with three multirole naval vessels
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
. The Joint Support Ship will enable a Naval Task Group to remain at sea for up to six times longer than is currently possible. The Joint Support ships will provide the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
with a greater flexibility to conduct a wide range of operations both domestically and internationally. The project has suffered from considerable delays. Originally announced in 2004, a contract for the construction of these ships was to have been signed in 2009. They were to have been available for operational service in 2012. A contract for construction has not yet been signed and proposed entry into service has been set back by five years to 2017.
Purpose
The Joint Support Ship project will replace the underway replenishmentUnderway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
capability of the Protecteur class auxiliary vessel
Protecteur class auxiliary vessel
Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ships are used by the Royal Canadian Navy to resupply ships at sea with food, munitions, fuel and spare parts. They have more sophisticated medical and dental facilities than smaller vessels...
, as well as provide basic sealift
Sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...
for the Canadian Army, support to forces ashore, and command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
facilities for a Joint Force or naval task group. The project should not be confused with a proposed Amphibious Assault Ship
Future Canadian amphibious assault ship
The concept of a Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship arose as part of the development of Canada's Joint Support Ship Project and the need to improve the ability of the Canadian Forces to rapidly deploy overseas...
also under consideration by the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
; planning for this latter vessel is in a much earlier stage.
Design
The Joint Support Ship will be a multi-role vessel. The vessel will have a multi-purpose covered deck with the ability to carry up to 10,000 tonnes of ship fuel and 1,300 tonnes of aviation fuel and also the ability to transport foods and 1,100 square metres of ammunition. The JSS will have a deck space for vehicles and containers. The JSS will have a large helicopter deck with two landing spots and a roll-on/roll-off deck.Project timeline
- Originally, there were four syndicates vying for the contract, led by Irving Shipbuilding, BAE SystemsBAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems CanadaThyssenKruppThyssenKrupp AG is a German multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Duisburg Essen, Germany. The corporation consists of 670 companies worldwide. While ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's largest steel producers, the company also provides components and systems for the automotive...
, and SNC-Lavalin ProFacSNC-LavalinSNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a large Canadian engineering firm. It is one of the ten largest engineering firms in the world and is based in Montreal, Quebec. It formed in 1991 from the merger of SNC and the failing Lavalin, another Quebec based engineering firm....
. - Two design finalists were selected in November 2006: ThyssenKruppThyssenKruppThyssenKrupp AG is a German multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Duisburg Essen, Germany. The corporation consists of 670 companies worldwide. While ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's largest steel producers, the company also provides components and systems for the automotive...
and SNC-Lavalin ProFacSNC-LavalinSNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a large Canadian engineering firm. It is one of the ten largest engineering firms in the world and is based in Montreal, Quebec. It formed in 1991 from the merger of SNC and the failing Lavalin, another Quebec based engineering firm....
. Under the two remaining proposals, the ships will be built in either Newfoundland or VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, respectively. A contract for final design and construction was expected in 2008, with the first ship of the class entering service in 2012. - In January 2007, Canadian media reported that defence planners were considering the retirement of the existing Protecteur classProtecteur class auxiliary vesselProtecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ships are used by the Royal Canadian Navy to resupply ships at sea with food, munitions, fuel and spare parts. They have more sophisticated medical and dental facilities than smaller vessels...
ships by 2010, prior to the delivery of the first JSS in 2012. This news was met with criticism as it would leave the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
without a resupply capability for two years. - On August 22, 2008 the Minister of Public Works and Government ServicesMinister of Public Works and Government Services (Canada)The Minister of Public Works and Government Services is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's "common service organization" , an expansive department responsible for the internal servicing and administration of the federal...
, Christian ParadisChristian ParadisChristian Paradis, PC, MP is a Conservative Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for Mégantic—L'Érable...
announced the termination of two procurement processes involving the shipbuilding industry. - In December, 2008 Navy officers and defence analysts had been hoping that January's federal budget would have contained up to $500 million in extra funding for the Joint Support Ship project program so the project could be completed. In the same month Defence Minister Peter MacKayPeter MacKayPeter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
suggested that the budget stimulus package would deal with the navy's shipbuilding needs. However, thus far there is no extra money for the Joint Support Ship project and the stimulus package did not address the navy's shipbuilding programs. Vice-Admiral Denis Rouleau, spoke to the Commons defence committee indicating the Defence Department should know by summer, 2009 how it will move ahead with the Joint Support Ship program. - In June 2009, project officials were re-evaluating the type of ship they wished to purchase since the original concept could not be met with the money the government was willing to provide. One option would be to start from scratch and purchase a different type of ship altogether.
- In September 2009, the Joint Support Ship received a new design. Vice-Admiral Dean McFaddenP. Dean McFaddenVice-Admiral P. Dean McFadden, CMM, CD is an officer in the Canadian Forces. He was Chief of the Maritime Staff from 2009 to 2011....
, head of the navy, said he is ready to submit design and cost estimates to the government and to the defence minister of Canada. - In June 2010 the government of Canada announced a national shipbuilding strategy that would see 35 billion dollars spent over the next 30 years to purchase 28 new large ships and 116 smaller ships for the navy and coast guardCanadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
. Public Works and Government Services Minister Rona AmbroseRona AmbroseRonalee "Rona" Ambrose, PC, MP is the Minister of Public Works and Government Services for Canada, Vice-Chair of the Treasury Board Cabinet committee, Minister of State for Status of Women Canada and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.In the previous Parliament, she was Canada's Minister...
indicated that the Joint Support ship was a priority of the Government and Navy and that contracts with shipbuilders would be planned soon. In July 2010, Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced that the federal government would initially purchase two JSSs (at a cost of $2.6-billion) with options for a third. The ships would be constructed in Atlantic Canada, in two different shipyards. - On October 11, 2010 the Government of Canada announced that five shipbuilding companies are "being invited to participate in a request for proposals" for the National Shipbuilding Procurement StrategyNational Shipbuilding Procurement StrategyThe National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is a Government of Canada program operated by the Department of Public Works and Government Services.- Work :...
:- Kiewit Offshore Services, Marystown, Newfoundland
- Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Halifax, Nova Scotia
- MIL-DavieMIL-Davie ShipbuildingMIL-Davie Shipbuilding is a historic Canadian shipbuilding company that was located in both Sorel, Quebec and Lauzon, Quebec .In 1986, Marine Industries Limited merged with Davie Shipbuilding to become MIL-Davie Shipbuilding....
, Levis, Quebec, - Washington Marine Group, Vancouver, B.C. (now Seaspan Marine Corporation)
- Seaway Marine and IndustrialPort Weller DrydocksPort Weller Drydocks is a shipbuilder located on the Welland Canal at the Lake Ontario entrance.Founded in 1946, the two drydocks are located on the east side of the canal in Port Weller, Ontario...
, St. Catharines, Ontario.
- On October 19, 2011, the Government of Canada selected Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards to build its new naval support ships.
Ship particulars
- Crew size 30% to 50% less than current AORs
- Length/Beam/Draft (Deep) m 210 / PanamaxPanamaxPanamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
/ 9.5 (notional) - Displacement (Deep) 28,000 tonnes (notional)
- Speed 21 knots (sustained)
- Range 10,800 @ 15 knots (29.4 km/h)
Underway support
- Fuel 7,000 - 10,000 tonnes
- JP 5 650 - 1,300 tonnes
- Ammunition 1,100 tonnes
See also
- Arctic Patrol Ship ProjectArctic Patrol Ship ProjectIn July 2007 The Government of Canada announced plans for the Arctic Patrol Ship Project which will see the construction of 6-8 vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy....
- Future Canadian amphibious assault shipFuture Canadian amphibious assault shipThe concept of a Future Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship arose as part of the development of Canada's Joint Support Ship Project and the need to improve the ability of the Canadian Forces to rapidly deploy overseas...
- Zuiderkruis class support shipZuiderkruis class support shipThe Zuiderkruis is a planned multi-function ship for amphibious operations currently being built, in service date of 2014. It has a large helicopter deck with two landing spots and a roll-on/roll-off deck...
External links
- Project background from the Department of National DefenceDepartment of National Defence (Canada)The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
. - PMO JSS Project Management Office.
- CdnMilitary.ca's Article on the Joint Support Ship Program.
- Article from Army News Canadian Forces
- Joint Support Ship